Glyceraldehyde is an industrially important chemical compound used by manufacturers of cosmetic products. It is currently produced by an osmium tetroxide-catalyzed conversion of acrolein to glyceraldehyde; however a problem of osmium recovery is encountered with this process.
Microorganisms capable of oxidizing a hydroxyl group of a polyalcohol molecule to form a keto compound are well documented, for example glycerol to dihydroxyacetone. However, this oxidation reaction is limited to the secondary alcohol function of the substrate. For example, dihydroxyacetone can be produced from glycerol using Acetobacter or Gluconobacter species. [Prescott, S. C. and C G. Dunn, 1959. Industrial Microbiology, McGraw Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, "The Acetic Acid Bacteria and Some of Their Biochemical Activities," pp. 428-469.]
The subject invention processes are the only known processes for preparing glyceraldehyde without the use of potentially carcinogenic reagents. This desirable feature is achieved by use of a natural enzyme, methanol dehydrogenase, acting upon glycerol. The enzyme can be used in the pure or crude forms. Also, the subject invention encompasses the use of a microbial process to convert glycerol to glyceraldehyde.